Reconciliation
Sermon
HOLY COMMUNION IS ...
Thirteen Communion Messages
When Jackie and I have a serious disagreement about something related to our marriage or family, we will often go out to dinner to work things out. At a quiet table - with no children, TV, chores or distractions - we talk, share, think and unload. By mutual confession and compromise, we begin to remove the barrier between us and work toward restoring our relationship. By the time the meal has ended, reconciliation has occurred. The table becomes a place for reconciliation.
The Lord's Table is also a place for reconciliation. The LCA material Welcome to the Lord's Table which students use for Early Communion instruction, includes an exercise to demonstrate the dual nature of communion reconciliation. The teacher sets two dinner tables. On one of them are two places set on either side of the table - symbolizing that the Lord's Table is a place where God and you come into the personal and private fellowship. The other table is set with many plates and cups around it symbolizing that we are all in fellowship and communion with each other. The object lesson demonstrates for the pupils that during the Lord's Supper we are in communion with God and with each other. And in order to be in communion - close fellowship - with God and others, reconciliation is required. So, briefly today, I invite you to consider how the Lord's Table is a place for reconciliation.
First, communion is a time for being reconciled to God. This reconciliation begins with an acknowledgement that our sin has become a barrier in our relationship with God. God has not sinned against us. He has not forsaken a single promise to us. We have sinned against God. Communion is not at all like a husband and wife or two friends sitting down to work out a problem by mutual confession of fault because God is not guilty of forsaking his promises to us. There is no mutuality of guilt. It is only we who are guilty of jeopardizing the relationship. It is we who have sinned and not a single one of us is innocent. Romans 3:23 tells us, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." That "all" includes you and me. No matter how "good" we think we are, no matter what a "fine reputation" we have, no matter how "religious" we act, we all fall short of God's will for us as his people.
Let me illustrate: The story is told of two men who were trying to escape from an errupting volcano. As the molten lava gushed from the crater, they ran for their lives. All went well until they came to a broad stream of fiery lava which was about twenty feet across. Their only hope of safety was to leap over the river of molten mass. One of the men was old and arthritic; the other was a healthy young athlete. With a running start, they each tried to leap the stream. The first man jumped only a few feet before falling into the bubbling mass to his death. The younger man, with his great strength and athletic agility gave a mighty leap and jumped about eighteen of the twenty feet. Even though he jumped much farther than the first, the result was the same; he too died in the fiery lava. Both men fell short of the goal.
I don't know whether this story is true but it certainly illustrates a biblical truth: no matter how much effort we exert in trying to reconcile ourselves to God, we all fall short of the glory of God. We fall short as children - seldom obeying our parents as we should and giving them the honor which God commands. We fall short as husbands and wives - seldom fulfilling the vows we made on the day we were married. We fall short as parents when we do not act honorably toward our children and provide for them the kind of Christian example which we promised on the day of their baptisms. And it goes without saying, that we fall short as Christians when we adopt the thoughts, attitudes and ways of our hedonistic world.
God knows how miserably we fail to live up to his desires and expectations, but contrary to those men in the lava flow, he does not allow us to fall to eternal death. He invites us to come dine with him at his table of grace, where he will restore us to life by his forgiveness. We come to our Lord's Table in humility, being aware of our sins and knowing that he is aware of them too. We come with repentance, wanting God to strengthen us so we can turn away from our sin and overcome the temptations. We come with confession, knowing that God will remove the burden of our guilt and raise us up with new life. In Holy Communion, we come to dine with our Heavenly Father as prodigal children who have run away from home and squandered the good name he gave us. When we pour out our hearts to him at his table fully expecting to receive the scolding we deserve, we are surprised when God whispers to our hearts: "I love you my child - you are forgiven. Go with my strength and sin no more." As easily as that, God lovingly reconciles us to himself. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 the Apostle Paul wrote, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." What God did in a cosmic sense through Christ's coming into the world, he does in an individual sense in Holy Communion. For in the Bread and Wine Christ will come to you and me to reconcile us to himself by forgiveness. So you see, the Lord's Table is a place for reconciliation with God.
The Lord's Table is also a beginning place of reconciliation with our neighbor. At the Lord's Table, Christ reminds us of our awesome responsibility: just as he has reconciled us to himself by forgiving us, we are to go and seek reconciliation with those who have sinned against us. We, following God's example, are to forgive those who have hurt, troubled, and wronged us! Just as God took the initiative to forgive us - we are to take the initiative to forgive others. God expects us to forgive them in our hearts and to let them know it by the way we show it in our lives. We are to begin treating them with love as though they had never done anything against us. Reconciliation with our neighbor is the direct result of our forgiveness. There can be no genuine reconciliation without genuine forgiveness.
There is a story which bears repeating today. It is about two African tribes who were bitter enemies. Warriors from each tribe dipped their spears into the other's blood, stole each other's wives, killed the other's children, and burned each other's villages. Then a Christian missionary proclaimed the Gospel to the rival chiefs and they were converted to Christ. In a few months, the warriors of each tribe were involved in daily Bible study. The Holy Spirit began to work in their lives and soon a miracle took place. The missionary had the privilege of seeing fruit come from faithful, loving witness for Christ. The people of these tribes demonstrated their unity in the Lord by kneeling at his table for Holy Communion. But then came the real display of forgiveness - after embracing members of the opposite tribe, they began to help each other rebuild their villages and replant their crops. You see, they realized that they had been reconciled to God by his forgiving love and they knew they had the responsibility to forgive and be reconciled to their neighbors ... even their enemies.
Now the same is true for you and me today. When we rise from the Lord's Table this morning, we shall be completely forgiven and reconciled to God and he expects us to go and be reconciled to those who have sinned against us. That is God's will! We do not have the privilege of continuing to hold that grudge, hatred, or seething anger. We must forgive and be reconciled no matter how much we've been wronged; no matter how deeply we've been hurt, no matter how sorry we might be feeling for ourselves. Since God has fully forgiven us we have a responsibility to forgive others!
Today the Lord Jesus Christ is inviting you to join him at his table of reconciliation. We come with sin and guilt and humbly acknowledge that to him. In his gracious love he tells you that he forgives you and that you are reconciled to him. Then he strengthens you and instructs you to go share his forgiveness and be reconciled to those who have wronged you. The Lord's Table is a place for reconciliation! We are invited to come be reconciled to God and we are instructed to go be reconciled to others. Come, be forgiven by God. Go and do likewise.
The Lord's Table is also a place for reconciliation. The LCA material Welcome to the Lord's Table which students use for Early Communion instruction, includes an exercise to demonstrate the dual nature of communion reconciliation. The teacher sets two dinner tables. On one of them are two places set on either side of the table - symbolizing that the Lord's Table is a place where God and you come into the personal and private fellowship. The other table is set with many plates and cups around it symbolizing that we are all in fellowship and communion with each other. The object lesson demonstrates for the pupils that during the Lord's Supper we are in communion with God and with each other. And in order to be in communion - close fellowship - with God and others, reconciliation is required. So, briefly today, I invite you to consider how the Lord's Table is a place for reconciliation.
First, communion is a time for being reconciled to God. This reconciliation begins with an acknowledgement that our sin has become a barrier in our relationship with God. God has not sinned against us. He has not forsaken a single promise to us. We have sinned against God. Communion is not at all like a husband and wife or two friends sitting down to work out a problem by mutual confession of fault because God is not guilty of forsaking his promises to us. There is no mutuality of guilt. It is only we who are guilty of jeopardizing the relationship. It is we who have sinned and not a single one of us is innocent. Romans 3:23 tells us, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." That "all" includes you and me. No matter how "good" we think we are, no matter what a "fine reputation" we have, no matter how "religious" we act, we all fall short of God's will for us as his people.
Let me illustrate: The story is told of two men who were trying to escape from an errupting volcano. As the molten lava gushed from the crater, they ran for their lives. All went well until they came to a broad stream of fiery lava which was about twenty feet across. Their only hope of safety was to leap over the river of molten mass. One of the men was old and arthritic; the other was a healthy young athlete. With a running start, they each tried to leap the stream. The first man jumped only a few feet before falling into the bubbling mass to his death. The younger man, with his great strength and athletic agility gave a mighty leap and jumped about eighteen of the twenty feet. Even though he jumped much farther than the first, the result was the same; he too died in the fiery lava. Both men fell short of the goal.
I don't know whether this story is true but it certainly illustrates a biblical truth: no matter how much effort we exert in trying to reconcile ourselves to God, we all fall short of the glory of God. We fall short as children - seldom obeying our parents as we should and giving them the honor which God commands. We fall short as husbands and wives - seldom fulfilling the vows we made on the day we were married. We fall short as parents when we do not act honorably toward our children and provide for them the kind of Christian example which we promised on the day of their baptisms. And it goes without saying, that we fall short as Christians when we adopt the thoughts, attitudes and ways of our hedonistic world.
God knows how miserably we fail to live up to his desires and expectations, but contrary to those men in the lava flow, he does not allow us to fall to eternal death. He invites us to come dine with him at his table of grace, where he will restore us to life by his forgiveness. We come to our Lord's Table in humility, being aware of our sins and knowing that he is aware of them too. We come with repentance, wanting God to strengthen us so we can turn away from our sin and overcome the temptations. We come with confession, knowing that God will remove the burden of our guilt and raise us up with new life. In Holy Communion, we come to dine with our Heavenly Father as prodigal children who have run away from home and squandered the good name he gave us. When we pour out our hearts to him at his table fully expecting to receive the scolding we deserve, we are surprised when God whispers to our hearts: "I love you my child - you are forgiven. Go with my strength and sin no more." As easily as that, God lovingly reconciles us to himself. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 the Apostle Paul wrote, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." What God did in a cosmic sense through Christ's coming into the world, he does in an individual sense in Holy Communion. For in the Bread and Wine Christ will come to you and me to reconcile us to himself by forgiveness. So you see, the Lord's Table is a place for reconciliation with God.
The Lord's Table is also a beginning place of reconciliation with our neighbor. At the Lord's Table, Christ reminds us of our awesome responsibility: just as he has reconciled us to himself by forgiving us, we are to go and seek reconciliation with those who have sinned against us. We, following God's example, are to forgive those who have hurt, troubled, and wronged us! Just as God took the initiative to forgive us - we are to take the initiative to forgive others. God expects us to forgive them in our hearts and to let them know it by the way we show it in our lives. We are to begin treating them with love as though they had never done anything against us. Reconciliation with our neighbor is the direct result of our forgiveness. There can be no genuine reconciliation without genuine forgiveness.
There is a story which bears repeating today. It is about two African tribes who were bitter enemies. Warriors from each tribe dipped their spears into the other's blood, stole each other's wives, killed the other's children, and burned each other's villages. Then a Christian missionary proclaimed the Gospel to the rival chiefs and they were converted to Christ. In a few months, the warriors of each tribe were involved in daily Bible study. The Holy Spirit began to work in their lives and soon a miracle took place. The missionary had the privilege of seeing fruit come from faithful, loving witness for Christ. The people of these tribes demonstrated their unity in the Lord by kneeling at his table for Holy Communion. But then came the real display of forgiveness - after embracing members of the opposite tribe, they began to help each other rebuild their villages and replant their crops. You see, they realized that they had been reconciled to God by his forgiving love and they knew they had the responsibility to forgive and be reconciled to their neighbors ... even their enemies.
Now the same is true for you and me today. When we rise from the Lord's Table this morning, we shall be completely forgiven and reconciled to God and he expects us to go and be reconciled to those who have sinned against us. That is God's will! We do not have the privilege of continuing to hold that grudge, hatred, or seething anger. We must forgive and be reconciled no matter how much we've been wronged; no matter how deeply we've been hurt, no matter how sorry we might be feeling for ourselves. Since God has fully forgiven us we have a responsibility to forgive others!
Today the Lord Jesus Christ is inviting you to join him at his table of reconciliation. We come with sin and guilt and humbly acknowledge that to him. In his gracious love he tells you that he forgives you and that you are reconciled to him. Then he strengthens you and instructs you to go share his forgiveness and be reconciled to those who have wronged you. The Lord's Table is a place for reconciliation! We are invited to come be reconciled to God and we are instructed to go be reconciled to others. Come, be forgiven by God. Go and do likewise.
